In this paper, a neural network predictive controller (NNPC) is proposed to control a buck converter. Conventional controllers such as proportional integral (PI) or proportional integral derivative (PID) are designed based on the linearized small signal model near the operating point. Therefore, the performance of the controller in the start up, load change, or reference change is not optimal since the system model changes by changing the operating point. The neural network predictive controller optimally controls the buck converter by following the concept of the traditional model predictive controller. The advantage of the NNPC is that the neural network system identification decreases the inaccuracy of the system model with inaccurate parameters. A NNPC with a well trained neural network can perform as an optimal controller for the buck converter. To compare the effectiveness of the traditional buck converter and the NNPC, the simulation results are provided.
A backstepping controller is designed for a system of parallel buck converters sharing load. Controller objective is to ensure proper current sharing and output voltage regulation. The designed controller is successfully tested for both constant load and sudden change in loading conditions.
A common configuration for a stand-alone PV power system may consist of three converters: a buck converter for the PV panelto charge the battery, a boost converter for the battery to discharge to the load and one for the load voltage regulation. Such a systemrequires a coordinated control scheme for three converters which can be complicated. A simple structure for a stand-alone PV plantconsists of a PV array, a battery unit, and its associated bidirectional converter which is a combination of a buck and boost converter.When controlled properly the system can provide uninterrupted power to the …
A critical challenge in power conversion in electric vehicles is the efficient use of DC-DC buck converters that need to provide 12-V supply for load systems from 400/800-V batteries. This paper presents a literature review on the development of DC-DC buck converters. Moreover, one novel four-phase interleaved step-down topology is selected for simulation and hardware experiments. Based on the four-phase interleaved structure, an extended-phase topology is proposed, which has a higher voltage conversion ratio. Control techniques are also applied to it. Theoretical analyses and simulation resul…
In the paper, a nonlinear inversion technique for the steady-state model of the active dual-bridge series resonant converter is presented. The obtained control strategy allows cycle averaged output current regulation and performs waveform alignment for the controllable achievement of ZVS and synchronous rectification. The control is valid both for voltage buck and boost operating modes, as well as for low-power operation at a fixed frequency. Robustness of the control is studied by simulations with external linear control loops.
The performance of active disturbance rejection control (ADRC) algorithms can be limited in practice by high-frequency measurement noise. In this work, this problem is addressed by transforming the high-gain extended state observer (ESO), which is the inherent element of ADRC, into a new cascade observer structure. Set of experiments, performed on a DC-DC buck power converter system, show that the new cascade ESO design, compared to the conventional approach, effectively suppresses the detrimental effect of sensor noise over-amplification while increasing the estimation/control performance. Th…
In this paper, we analyse the behaviour of a buck converter network that contains arbitrary, up to mild regularity assumptions, loads. Our analysis of the network begins with the study of the current dynamics; we propose a novel Lyapunov function for the current in closed-loop with a bounded integrator. We leverage on these results to analyse the interaction properties between voltages and bounded currents as well as between node voltages and to propose a two-layer optimal controller that keeps network voltages within a compact neighbourhood of the nominal operational voltage. We analyse the s…
In this paper, parallel interconnection of DC/DC converters is considered. For this topology of converters feeding a common load, it has been recently shown that dynamics related to voltage regulation can be completely separated from the current distribution without considering frequency separation arguments, which inevitably limits achievable performance. Within the Hamiltonian framework, this paper shows that this separation between current distribution and voltage regulation is linked to the energy conservative quantities: the Casimir functions. Furthermore, a robust control law is given in…
In wireless power receiver systems, the buck converter is widely used to step down the higher rectified voltage derived from the wireless receiver coil, to a lower output voltage for the immediate battery charging process. In this work, the presence and effect of the right-half-plane (RHP) zeros found in the small-signal inductor-current-to-duty-ratio and output-voltage-to-duty ratio transfer functions of the buck converter in the wireless power receiver system on the control performance, are investigated. It is found and mathematically proved that the RHP zeros are introduced by the current s…
The present study proposes a simple grey-box identification approach to model a real DC-DC buck converter operating in continuous conduction mode. The problem associated with the information void in the observed dynamical data, which is often obtained over a relatively narrow input range, is alleviated by exploiting the known static behavior of buck converter as a priori knowledge. A simple method is developed based on the concept of term clusters to determine the static response of the candidate models. The error in the static behavior is then directly embedded into the multi-objective framew…
This paper proposes a new single input multiple output power supply by integrating a flyback converter and several buck converters. The flyback converter works as the main regulator, and the buck converters provide series voltage compensation with the aim of tight regulation. A time multiplexing switching scheme is proposed to deliver multiple output voltage levels via a two winding transformer and to eliminate the cross regulation between output channels. This configuration reduces the size of flyback transformer and filter capacitors, and consequently improves the overall form factor. A deta…
This paper presents design and control of dual-switch non-inverting buck-boost converter (CBB). This converter is designed to simplify the compatibility of electronic ballast with simple and low cost LED drivers. The converter provides starting voltage and current limitation of electronic ballasts, which operates at continuous conduction mode (CCM). The voltage of load terminal is controlled by adjusting the duty cycle of the PWM regulator. Although both converter switches are controlled separately, one feedback control loop is needed to obtain the desired compensator level. Appropriate contro…
Rapid developments in power distribution systems and renewable energy have widened the applications of dc--dc buck--boost converters in dc voltage regulation. Applications include vehicular power systems, renewable energy sources that generate power at a low voltage, and dc microgrids. It is noted that the cascade--connection of converters in these applications may cause instability due to the fact that converters acting as loads have a constant power load (CPL) behavior. In this paper, the output voltage regulation problem of a buck--boost converter feeding a CPL is addressed. The constructio…
As a typical switching power supply, the DC-DC converter has been widely applied in DC microgrid. Due to the variation of renewable energy generation, research and design of DC-DC converter control algorithm with outstanding dynamic characteristics has significant theoretical and practical application value. To mitigate the bus voltage stability issue in DC microgrid, an innovative intelligent control strategy for buck DC-DC converter with constant power loads (CPLs) via deep reinforcement learning algorithm is constructed for the first time. In this article, a Markov Decision Process (MDP) mo…
This article presents the characterization of analog and digital control loops using PID and PIDN control algorithms for bidirectional buck and boost converter (BBC). Control loops of BBC are designed and implemented in MATLAB code using transfer functions in time domain with unit step response and in frequency domain with bode plots and pole-zero plots. These transfer functions are obtained by average large signal modeling of BBC. Actions of analog and digital control loops are characterized in order to ensure stability and dynamic response of BBC which is a bottleneck in renewable energy app…
Reinforcement learning (RL) control approach with application into power electronics systems has become an emerging topic whilst the sim-to-real issue remains a challenging problem as very few results can be referred to in the literature. Indeed, due to the inevitable mismatch between simulation models and real-life systems, offline trained RL control strategies may sustain unexpected hurdles in practical implementation during transferring procedure. As the main contribution of this paper, a transferring methodology via a delicately designed duty ratio mapping (DRM) is proposed for a DC-DC buc…
In this paper, a dual heuristic programming controller is proposed to control a boost converter. Conventional controllers such as proportional integral derivative (PID) or proportional integral (PI) are designed based on the linearized small-signal model near the operating point. Therefore, the performance of the controller during start up, load change, or input voltage variation is not optimal since the system model changes by varying the operating point. The dual heuristic programming controller optimally controls the boost converter by following the approximate dynamic programming. The adva…
The progressive displacing of conventional generation in favour of renewable energy sources requires restoring an adequate capacity of regulating power to ensure reliable operation of power systems. Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESSs) are considered to be promising assets to restore suitable frequency regulation capacity levels. BESSs are typically connected to the grid with power-converters, able to operate in either grid-forming or grid-following modes. This paper quantitatively assesses the impact on the local distribution grid of BESSs providing frequency regulation to bulk power system…
In this paper we consider the problem of voltage regulation of a proton exchange membrane fuel cell connected to an uncertain load through a boost converter. We show that, in spite of the inherent nonlinearities in the current-voltage behaviour of the fuel cell, the voltage of a fuel cell/boost converter system can be regulated with a simple proportional-integral (PI) action designed following the {Passivity-based Control (PBC) approach. The system under consideration consists of a DC-DC converter interfacing a fuel cell with a resistive load. We show that the output voltage of the converter c…
The weighted voltage mode control represents a method for control of multiple outputs DC-DC converters. Accordingly, the weighted control redistributes the error among the outputs of these converters, and the regulation error can be reduced by adjusting the weighting factors. But the problem is that most designs are performed on the trial-and-error basis, and the results were rather inconsistent. Also, in conventional mathematical approaches, this factor is designed for converters by given parameters. In this paper, three optimization algorithms namely Imperialist Competitive Algorithm (ICA), …
Recent advances in data sensing and processing technologies enable data-driven control of high-voltage direct-current (HVDC) systems for improving the operational stability of interfacing power grids. This paper proposes an optimal data-driven control strategy for an HVDC system with line-commutated converters (LCCs), wherein the dc-link voltage and current are optimally regulated at distinct HVDC terminals to improve frequency regulation (FR) in both rectifier- and inverter-side grids. Each HVDC converter is integrated with feedback loops for regulation of grid frequency and dc-link voltage i…
High-voltage direct-current (HVDC) systems for constant or intermittent power delivery have recently been developed further to support grid frequency regulation (GFR). This paper proposes a new control strategy for a line-commutated converter-based (LCC) HVDC system, wherein the DC-link voltage and current are optimally regulated to improve real-time GFR in both rectifier- and inverter-side AC networks. A dynamic model of an LCC HVDC system is developed using the DC voltage and current as input variables, and is integrated with feedback loops for inertia emulation and droop control. A linear q…
In this work, an advanced motion controller is proposed for buck converter-fed DC motor systems. The design is based on an idea of active disturbance rejection control (ADRC) with its key component being a custom observer capable of reconstructing various types of disturbances (including complex, harmonic signals). A special formulation of the proposed design allows the control action to be expressed in a concise and practically appealing form reducing its implementation requirements. The obtained experimental results show increased performance of the introduced approach over conventionally us…
In this manuscript, the performance of an ultracapacitor fuel cell in grid connected mode is investigated. Voltage regulation to the ultracapacitor was achieved with a three level bidirectional DC-DC converter while also achieving power flow from the grid to the ultra-capacitor via the bidirectional converter. The choice of a bidirectional three level converter for voltage regulation is based on its inherently high efficiency, low harmonic profile and compact size. Using the model equations of the converter and grid connected inverter derived using the switching function approach, the grid's d…
In this paper we propose a PI passivity-based controller, applicable to a large class of switched power converters, that ensures global state regulation to a desired equilibrium point. A solution to this problem was reported in \cite{HERetal} but it requires full state-feedback, which makes it practically unfeasible. To overcome this limitation we construct a state observer that is implementable with measurements that are available in practical applications. The observer reconstructs the state in finite-time, ensuring global convergence of the PI. The excitation requirement for the observer is…
High-Bandwidth, Low-Computational Approach: Estimator-Based Control for Hybrid Flying Capacitor Multilevel Converters Using Multi-Cost Gradient Descent and State Feedforward
Switched-capacitor (SC) DC-DC voltage converters are widely used in power delivery and management of modern integrated circuits. Connected to a common supply voltage, SC converters exhibit cross-regulation/coupling effects among loads connected to different SC converter stages due to the shared components such as switches, capacitors, and parasitic elements. The coupling effects between SC converter stages can potentially be used in covert communication, where two or more entities (e.g., loads) illegitimately establish a communication channel to exchange malicious information stealthily. To qu…
This paper proposes a method of transferring physical continuous and switching/converter circuits working in continuous conduction mode (CCM) and discontinuous conduction mode (DCM) to graph representation, independent of the connection or the number of circuit components, so that machine learning (ML) algorithms and applications can be easily applied. Such methodology is generalized and is applicable to circuits with any number of switches, components, sources and loads, and can be useful in applications such as artificial intelligence (AI) based circuit design automation, layout optimization…
